Wilson's Wilson
by LoriB
Summary: What happens when Wilson needs someone to help him pick up the pieces? Can House step up to the plate and be Wilson's Wilson? House/Wilson Friendship or pre-slash can be either depending on the reader


A/N: Hi guys, here's a one shot based LOOSELY on the spoilers for episode 10. I felt the need to write something to counteract my own depressive episode. I'm not sure how well it turned out but thought I'd put it out there anyway. I hope you enjoy it.

Paring: House/Wilson Friendship or pre-slash (can go either way depending on the reader)

Rating: G

Warnings: One spoiler for ep 7 and loosely based on spoilers for ep 10 of season 6

Word Count: 1200

Also for those following "Painful Adjustments", I posted chapter 4 the night before last if you missed it. Thanks :)

**WILSON'S WILSON**

_Two months: I've been out for two months and I'm still Vicodin free, who'd have thought. Not me, that's for sure. What do ya know? I'm still sane too; well relatively speaking anyway. Sure, the pain's a bitch but my life seems so much…better, more fulfilling than it had been just a few short months ago. I never thought it would work; never thought I'd ever be here, living with Wilson and being…happy. _

_I'm glad I was able to stop him from making that stupid speech at the conference. It would've ruined his career even if _he_ couldn't see that. Though, he just hasn't been himself the last few weeks. Is it me? Did my life get better while living here but caused his to become worse? God, the irony of it. Four months ago I would never had given this a second thought…._

"Wilson?" House could see the shadow of the younger man standing in his bedroom doorway, just a sliver of light illuminating his image.

"Uh…I…I'm sorry, I thought you'd be asleep." House leaned up onto his elbows to get a better look at his friend. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's…nothing. Go back to sleep, I'll see ya in the morning." Wilson quietly closed the door behind him leaving House puzzling over his friend's odd behavior.

*****

"Hey Wilson." Wilson looked up from his paperwork and House could see the bags under the younger man's eyes. He looked tired; withdrawn and very… sad. "You were gone before I got up this morning; everything okay?"

"Sure, fine. What could be wrong?"

"I know I'm not that good at this and I know you said…that I really don't make you feel better when you talk to me but… I _am_ here…I mean if…you need anything. You can tell me, you know?"

Wilson put on his best fake smile that House wasn't buying for a minute. "I'm fine, _really_. I just didn't sleep well last night. Don't worry about me House; just take care of yourself, alright?"

House studied his friend for a moment. He knew there was something; something that was affecting his friend deeply. He felt helpless. He'd always cared for Wilson, but now felt the overwhelming need to _take_ care of him. Maybe it was his time in Mayfield or maybe it was him realizing what truly mattered. Wilson _truly_ mattered and he never really had shown him how much. Things _have_ changed.

"Kay. I'll see ya at home then."

*****

"Wilson, you home?" No answer, but the younger man's briefcase was by the door; a sure sign of his presence. "Hey Wilson, where are you? I brought Chinese home for dinner…got your favorite."

House made his way to Wilson's bedroom. It was dark with very little natural light coming in through the windows. He could see that Wilson wasn't on the bed; he turned to leave when he heard a soft sound, almost like a…whimper?

"Wilson?" House came fully into the room and rounded the bed. He almost tripped on something. That something turned out to be Wilson's foot. "Hey, what happened? " House knelt down to get a better look at his friend. Wilson was sitting with his back to the far side of the bed with his knees bent up to his chest; arms tightly wrapped around them. House studied his face for a moment and could see that Wilson was indeed crying and decided to sit next to his friend in silence for a moment.

"What's going on?" Silence only greeted his question. House dared to place his hand over one of Wilson's. "Promise, mock free zone; tell me what's going on."

If there had been any other sounds in the room, House would have missed what was spoken. "I can't."

"What can't you do?"

"I can't deal with it anymore." House's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. This was it; this was when Wilson was going to tell him he had to leave. "Me?"

Wilson shook his head. "No. Another one died today House. Another child, it's always the children, and the people that should have their entire lives ahead of them. I just…can't, not anymore." House felt a mixture of relief and fear at that. He wasn't sure how to deal with this; Wilson was _never_ broken. Wilson was always…well, Wilson. Could House be Wilson's Wilson?

"You've been doing this along time, you're just burned out. Take some time off, take a vacation." Wilson sat up a bit straighter, showing more emotion than he had up until that point. "House, it's not just work. It…it's everything; my patients dying, Amber, my brother…_you_." House knew Wilson hid his emotions which in turn made it easier to ignore them, but something brought this to a boiling point.

"Wilson, why now, what brought this on?" Wilson was quiet again. "I don't want to lose anymore House. I don't want to lose _you_ again. You lost your mind and I can't help but to think I had a hand in that." House took Wilson's face into his hands and got his own face within an inch before speaking.

"You're an idiot. You're a self righteous son of a bitch, and you think you always know what's best for me even if I think you're wrong. _But_, you _Did_. _Not_. Do this to me. I did some of it to myself and the rest were just a series of bad circumstances that piled onto each other until I couldn't take it anymore. Kinda like what you're dealing with right now."

"I should've been there more for you House; I should've listened to you more." House took that in and processed it for moment. "Maybe, but It's a two way street. I wasn't exactly open to the idea of help and I wasn't always there for _you_; I _know_ I wasn't always there for you. But I am now."

Wilson looked at House and gave him a warm smile that actually made House feel uncomfortable. "What?" Wilson shook his head in amusement. "I can't believe you're saying these things to me, I can't believe _you're_ trying to comfort _me_. It's unbelievably amazing, in a creepy sort of way."

House returned the genuine smile. "Well if you think _that's_ unbelievably amazing, in a creepy sort of way, try _this_ on for size." House pulled the younger man into a warm embrace and held him tight. If he hadn't managed to _say_ the right things, then maybe _this_ would do.

"Thanks House."

**END**

a/n: Thanks so much for reading and would love to hear what you think :)


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